Shards and Stitches
by BlueCookiesAreBae
Summary: Telepathy. It seemed too futuristic when Percy was first informed of it, but apparently he had it with a blonde girl his age; Annabeth. Now, older, Percy falls for her hard, but with a rule looming over his head spitting consequences if he acted on his feelings, all he can do is shut up and pine. But what happend next was too surprising to expect. Percabeth. AU/AH
1. Pilot

Percy opened the dorm door, wincing at the rusty creak that was poison to his ear. Other than that, the space was usually quiet, since Annabeth liked to sleep longer than she could. He swears, if Percy wasn't here every day with a glass of orange juice and a piece of toast, she'd never wake up.

Annabeth appeared in the doorframe with a disoriented expression. She practically snatched the glass and toast from his hands, scowling at him, though Percy couldn't take her seriously with the bird's nest nestled on the top of her head.

"I _heard_ that," Annabeth growled in morning crankiness, "Mental bonding, remember?"

"Oh, right," Percy said awkwardly, rubbing his neck. He wrung his hands together. "Even three years couldn't drill the idea into my head."

"The idea, maybe not, but the bond is definitely in your head whether you remember or not."

Percy sighed. It's not like he didn't like Annabeth, he really did (more than he should), but there were other downsides to having a mental bond with your to-be best friend.

 _ **What other downsides?**_

Percy rolled his eyes when Annabeth wondered that and his own head impulsively picked up on it. There were _many_ downsides to mental bonding! Many, many, many downsides that haunted Percy ever since he turned twelve and shoved himself into this world. The only thing he appreciated from this school was meeting Annabeth!

 _ **How sweet.**_

Even through telepathy, Percy could pinpoint the dry sarcasm in her words. Annabeth had a knack for making the impossible somehow possible for him. Not that Percy really knew what that meant. Sometimes, his thoughts would get jumbled until even _he_ didn't know what he was thinking. Must be a side effect of the mental crap.

 _ **Or perhaps it's the side effect of being a Seaweed Brain.**_

"Oh, let it go!" Percy said, embarrassed, breaking the silence. Annabeth only grinned and slurped the rest of her orange juice. Her piece of toast was crumbles now on a plate, and she dusted them in the trash once her empty glass clinked onto the kitchen counter.

 _ **He's cute when he's embarrassed.**_

"Look who's accidentally thinking stuff to who now?" Percy grinned when Annabeth reddened, and it was a good thing the mental bonding didn't extend to feelings because his heart warmed too quickly for his liking. Percy immediately tucked that thought into his subconscious, hoping Annabeth was too flustered to hear that one.

The clock beeped 9:00, immediately making Percy's watch beep and turn on the "block" setting. Now, Annabeth couldn't hear his thoughts anymore and vice versa. Sure, it came on only every other hour because the technology drained so much power, but now he could think- - - and pine- - - in secret.

Yeah, Percy had a crush on Annabeth, a hopeless one at that. Not only would she never love him, even if she did, it wasn't allowed. Two people with mental bonds in love- - - it could cause the very destruction of their minds if they married or had kids. Dating, he guessed, would be okay, but that poses more problems! What if they broke up? If that happened, it would most definitely demolish their sanity. He liked his sanity.

So pining every hour may not be the ideal solution, but in these less-than-ideal circumstances, it was the only one.

 **[]l[]i[]n[]e[]b[]r[]e[]a[]k[]**

 **A/N: This is a pilot! I wanted to give me another story to work on if I don't find inspo for TIEWST (The Imperfect Eyes Wee See Through), so if you like it, please review! (if ur not into real reviews "3" is just as great!) If I get 7 reviews or 8 follows (whichever comes first), it'll extend into a real story! Also, for any TIEWST readers, school is starting and I actually write more during school…. Weird, ik, but yea….love u all, please REVIEW**

 **Xoxo eeda**


	2. Chapter 1

Art had been terrible in the past, and it all had started with Annabeth and Rachel.

For some reason that had been unbeknownst to him, they had been like oil and water. Rachel would try to say something, Annabeth would interrupt with a sneer, and they'd at each other's throats. It was scary to Percy; two of his closest friends tumbling and growling. He had been confused as hell.

But that was behind them. He didn't know how it happened, but one day Annabeth and Rachel were suddenly snickering like close friends. What went down was a mystery, but Percy wasn't complaining.

"So what're we doing today?" he asked both of them, shouldering his purse like a true man. Sure, it was _Annabeth's_ , but he actually got attached to it. Not that he would ever admit that.

Rachel offered an overly nonchalant shrug. "Oh, _nothing_."

Her tone was ominous, like a terrible cliffhanger right at the end a book. No doubt Annabeth and Rachel were planning something for him. Annabeth's twitch at the end of her mouth that always warned him of mischievousness only confirmed his suspicions.

He covered his watch, which was on "blocked" mode (since there was still half an hour left), in slight paranoia that Annabeth would sabotage it again. It wouldn't be the first time she tried foul play to know what he was planning on doing before he did it.

"You guys are giving me willies. Heebee jeebies. Paranoia," Percy said with a dramatic hand pressed to his chest in mock betrayal.

Annabeth's mouth quirked in amusement. "That was the point."

His face must've blanched at the thought of _both_ of his badass friends double teaming him because both girls fell into snickers. "Hey, we've been planning this once we got over that petty fighting phase! You still want us to get along, right? This is how we do it," Rachel told. Annabeth high-fived her.

"Well, _yeah,_ but not at the expense of my _life_!"

Apparently, that line was funnier than his expression, because his friends doubled over and wheezed with snorts. Secretly, Percy was ecstatic at his friends _still_ getting along (no more drama!) but utterly frightened for his dear life. They had been planning this since the beginning of the _year?_ He was too young to die at the hands of his friends!

Damn fuck, Annabeth was _actually_ going to be the death of him, huh?

"Betrayal!" he muttered indignantly, "I always knew I'd die at one of your hands."

Rachel only smiled, breathless, but Annabeth had just a few snorts left in her. His breath hitched when he finally glanced at her face when she looked up; her hair was tousled from doubling over, her eyes were brimmed with laughing tears, her face and neck had turned a salmon color, and her breathing was heavy from laughing so hard.

You better _believe_ that Percy's joints jellied when he realized _he caused all of that._

"So," he started, voice a little strained as he tried to pushing his thoughts (and blush) away, "The math quiz is today."

"Yeah." Rachel tied her paint-riddled smock around her. "I heard that Mrs. Dodds is throwing in math from the lower classes that we all forgot."

Even Annabeth's eyes widened at this. Rachel was a… _unique_ student. She, along with her bond (a bucket of shit named Octavian that even _Rachel_ didn't like) had an uncanny ability to foresee glimpses of the future. If she said the Pythagorean Theorem was on the test, it _was._

"No, no, no, no…" Annabeth's face contorted in rage. "That can't happen! She'll mess up my grade point average!"

Percy shrugged, saying, "Oh well. We can't do anything about it now," to try and calm her down. It didn't work.

Her face became more twisted in an expression akin to constipation, but she picked up the paintbrush anyway. Once Rachel walked away to her easel on the other side of the room, Percy moved his hand to her own. His thumb skated circles into her cool palm. Her back relaxed slowly, eyes closing and a small smile gracing her face.

Percy smiled softly. Some people were possessive of their significant others. Some were possessive of their bonds. But he, no doubt, was the only one possessive of the way he could make Annabeth calm _that_ quickly like nobody else.

Call him crazy, but Annabeth made him pretty insane sometimes, huh?

 **[]l[]i[]n[]e[]n[]b[]r[]e[]a[]k[]**

Rachel was right. She always was, of course, but Percy had given Mrs. Dodds the benefit of doubt that she _wasn't_ completely and utterly evil.

He was wrong.

Percy's mind was hissing profanities like a cuss-word generator, and he could imagine Annabeth getting irritated if the test-barrier all teachers put in (to prevent cheating) broke. If it did, she'd hear his thoughts loud and clear, but even if it happened, it wasn't his fault that she kept her DM on unnecessarily!

DM-ing was sort of like a talking passageway on speed dial. It connected easily, so only prominent thoughts filtered into your bond's mind. If Percy turned it on and thought hard on one sentence, it would not only give him a headache but _also_ send the message clear without any subconscious musing cluttering it up. However, if you kept your DM on, you might hear some... _things_ when your bond consciously muses hard about something, like about his crush on you or his annoyance at the bond rules or his frustration at _the goddamn fucking Pythagorean Theorem._

Besides, DM-ing cost too much for Percy to keep on most of the time, but he decided to turn it on anyway on his watch, just for a minute. Maybe Mrs. Dodds had turned off the weak, temporary block! If not, Percy was fairly sure he could concentrate enough for the message to slip through the barrier, despite his ADHD (which was rather unhelpful in this case). Technology like test-barriers was still in its infant days, and Percy would take advantage of that in a heartbeat.

 **Annie?** He emphasized each syllable as he said it in his head carefully, nails digging crescents into his palm in concentration. **Annabeth?**

A few scary seconds followed as his throat closed up in agitation, thinking that Mrs. Dodds would pop in and serve him detention any second now, but Annabeth (finally!) replied before he had a panic attack: _**We are in the middle of a freaking test. Is this really the time to chat?**_

Percy marveled at her skill at concentrating on that many words at one time but decided to compliment her later. There was a more _pressing_ matter right now, namely his math grade. **Help me! Please!**

 _ **Percy, that's a bad idea**_ , the anticipated response said in his brain. _**We'd get in so much trouble if we got caught!**_

He could practically see the warning glare she would have shot him if he was on the other side of the room. **Please! I'll flunk!**

Her exasperated glare in return signaled that she had given in, albeit very reluctantly. _**Fine. Which answers does my idiotic best friend need to copy down?**_ Even in _telepathy_ she managed her iconic playfully fed-up tone.

He scanned his completely blank answer document unnecessarily. **All of them.**

 _ **What?! Fine, 1 is A, 2 is A, 3B, 4C, 5A, 6A, 7B, and 9 and 10 are unknown. I forgot the Pythagorean Theorem! Rachel was fucking right. As always.**_

His hand itched to bubble it all in and get it over with, but Percy made sure to pause in between answers as to not arouse suspicion. The terrible feeling of Mrs. Dodd's beady eyes on his neck all day in detention was enough to control his impulse. Being just in a _room_ with that woman longer than necessary was just like deciding to stay in hell to Percy.

Thank god for Annabeth, because Percy would be in his hell if it wasn't for her.

He bit his lips as the exam sheet fluttered on top of the turn-in pile, every bubble save the last two filled in messily. He'd have to thank Annabeth for it, despite the way she hated when Percy ever said he owed her ("People do you favors because they genuinely care for you," she'd grumble, "Not because they have the ulterior motive that you are obliged to return the favor. That's selfish."). _No_ , he didn't think she had ulterior motives, but a thank you never hurt anyone.

And, judging from the face she made when Percy enveloped her in a crushing hug once the bell rang, Annabeth agreed too.

 **[]l[]i[]n[]e[]n[]b[]r[]e[]a[]k[]**

Every normal teenage sitcom about regular high schools always had mean, no-joke lunch monitors that wielded threatening spatulas if the volume increased over a light chat.

But in Heimdallr Academy (it was named after some mind-reading Norse dude, hence the ridiculous name), lunch periods were so quiet you could hear a monitor's hair net float to the ground as they browsed social media since they had nothing to monitor. Bonds sat in rows of lunch tables, assigned right next to their bonds, harnessing the free DM service in the cafeteria, keeping everything noise-free except in their heads.

Well, unless you were poor Rachel, who merely sat and drew while ignoring the hisses her bastard of a bond DM-ed. Percy pitied her; thank _god_ Annabeth wasn't annoying.

He plopped his satchel onto the mahogany tables and pulled out two lunches. Sally, Percy's mom, had been outraged when she heard Annabeth's family didn't send lunches every day, insisting that she pack the lunches for her. Percy smiled softly at the little star she put next to Annabeth name and the minuscule heart next to his own. _I miss Mom so much_ **,** he thought, and Annabeth's soft smile told him that it had come through her DM, probably as a glitch. _Whoops_.

 _ **I miss Sally too.**_

Percy's head whipped up to find that Annabeth had settled in front of him with a soft smile. Sally was a second mother to her, more important to her than her own stepmother, Helen. Percy switched his DM on with his watch. **I just wish I could see her,** he DM-ed back, **I loved her hugs so much.**

 _ **If it makes you feel better…**_ Annabeth's DM paused for a second to give her time to rip open the bag and take out a bag of mint Oreos with artificial blue filling, Sally's signature style. _**You got her talent at hugs.**_

It did, in fact, make him feel better. A familiar warm feeling pooled at his stomach. **Thanks.**

 _ **No problem.**_

Percy was about to DM something back when she opened the bag of Oreos and dumped them on the table. **What the heck?** he DM-ed while stuffing his mouth with food, getting a light glare in return. Annabeth stacked the Oreos on top of the bag in a strange pattern. It looked slightly familiar, especially when she took her plastic spoon and made little stripes in the filling, leaving every fourth cookie alone to create…

Percy snapped his fingers. ' **The Leaning Tower of Pizza'?**

 _ **Pisa, not pizza. Honestly, even with your mouth engorged with food, the only thing you think of is still food, huh?**_ Her smile was playfully teasing, but Percy reddened anyway. What? He was an easy blusher.

 **Maybe? And isn't it technically 'The Leaning Tower of Oreos'?**

She tapped her chin as if considering it. _**Sure. I dub thee structure 'The Leaning Tower of Oreos'.**_

 **It marvelous!** he DM-ed, placing his hands on his face with a grin in mock awe, **I am shooketh!**

Annabeth opened her mouth, a reply seeming if it was at the tip of her tongue when Percy remembered that he was giving her a _real_ thank-you gift (what? You thought the hug was the _only_ thing? Percy had more class than that) and promptly shoved his blue cookie pack into her chest. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened to protest, but Percy saw right through her facade, knowing that she was inwardly drooling over the delights.

 **You know you want it,** Percy DM-ed with a knowing smirk, **Just freaking take it!**

Annabeth bit her lip, but a relenting expression melted onto her face as she swiftly stuffed the warm cookie in her mouth. Her eyes closed in chocolatey bliss. Percy, meanwhile, had eyes wide open, trying not to think or stare at the chocolate smearing decorating her chin and around the end of her smile.

He linked his leg around the table leg. How can he be thinking _these_ thoughts when she's eating a goddamn cookie? Thank _god_ both of their DMs were on, thank god she couldn't hear his erratic fawning.

She gulped down the last bit, motioning for him to pass a napkin. He obliged with a weak remark on how messy she ate that he barely remembered. Annabeth turned a light red, and Percy was worried Annabeth could hear his heartbeat speed up like a speeding car from across the table.

Thankfully, she didn't, but when he started thinking about heartbeats getting speeding tickets and Annabeth picked up on it, she definitely laughed loud enough that the lunch monitors _finally_ got to shush someone.

 **[]l[]i[]n[]e[]n[]b[]r[]e[]a[]k[]**

 **A/N: da girl there reading - I hope you could've read this story too.**

 **Review, please. It would make my day, especially with everything that happened.**

 **x eeda**


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